Anyone else with a history of a bad transmission?

The scary thing is as cars become more complicated, the cost of parts and repairs also skyrocket. No matter what the purchase price of the car or truck is.

I have heard the local horror stories of folks who got a bum GMC or Chevy truck, or neglected it.

One case: apparently the transmission sun/planetary assembly and case has a defect. It doesn't matter if you service the transmission every month, it's a weak part. When it fails you destroy your 4L80E transmission. Rebuilt around $4,500.

Another case: guy saved $20 by not changing the fuel filter and waited for the pump to go bad instead. $700.

At auction yards here I see otherwise sound late-model cars bidded out for parts or the crusher due to the failure of an expensive motor or transmission item. If a repair costs $2,500-$5,500 and the car is only worth $2,000, nobody will fix it.

If Toyota is covering up a potential problem with the CVT, like they did with the engine sludging issue, they could face a real consumer backlash.

 

Most upsetting I find is a refusal to itemize the repair estimate. When something is this expensive, you have a right to know EXACTLY what you're getting for $8.5K. I bought my car from this dealership and woudl NOT recommend them (haven't had car serviced there, but figured I should look for new dealership when I took delivery).

The fact the failure occured right after they did a service, including the cooling system, is highly suspect as well. Being vague with the repair estimate only adds to the possibility "we made a big expensive mistake and are trying to cover ourselves" idea. If they were more forthcoming they'd seem more honest and upfront.

I've been unable to find anyone else with experiences with this dealer in the forum.

 

"The scary thing is as cars become more complicated, the cost of parts and repairs also skyrocket. No matter what the purchase price of the car or truck is."

Thats what I am really worried about here. Obviously, repair cost is the major issue. Another is the likelihood of these cars going to the junkyard instead of being repaired. The reason a lot of people are buying the Prius is environmental. What is the environmental cost if many of these cars are junked instead of repaired? There are a lot of energy and natural resources consumed in manufacturing a new car.

I think that as the manufacturers are creating more complex vehicles, there needs to be more focus on being able to repair them affordably. If they can sell the complete vehicle for less than $20,000, a mechaincal part that costs $6,000 to replace (not including labor) seems completely outrageous. On the Prius, it seems that there many very expensive parts (transmission, batteries, computers)

Again, I would like very much to buy one of these cars but am having a hard time getting past these issues.

 

I don't care what you buy, even a basic Ford Focus or Chevy Aveo, the motor, transmission, and computer are *very* expensive. If it's out of warranty, or they refuse warranty, you're SOL.

Why do you think so many late model cars and trucks are in auction yards "as is where is?" At least around here, it's just off warranty and there was a major problem with the motor or transmission. The owner found out it would cost more to fix than what the thing is worth, so they deep six it.

 

Trust me on this: even if you have all the servicing done at the dealer *and* you have all the receipts, it's going to be your word against theirs. If they figure you're a pushover, they'll walk all over you.

With my former 2000 GMC Sierra, when that Bastard "drum in hat" parking brake finally became truly FUBAR'd and even caused a rear axle seal leak, ruining the shoes, they refused to do anything about it.

I had to threaten to sue them in small claims, then they made a "customer satisfaction" offer, whatever the h*** that is, which fully compensated for the repair.

 

*bump*

Our 2006 just left my wife stranded in a parking lot. We had to tow it to the dealer. They are replacing the transaxle. 40k on the car. At 36k the traction battaries were replaced. Guess I'm pretty screwed. Who's going to buy a car with this history without a deep discount? How am I going to feel confident in driving somwhere with my family???